The recent visit of the Spanish president, Mariano Rajoy, to China has been a cold water bath for the Tibetan community in our country. 'We feel ashamed of how the Spanish Government has surrendered to the Chinese´, asegura en esta entrevista Thubten Wangchen, Tibetan nationalized Spanish and founder of the Tibet House In Barcelona. It refers to the demand of the Beijing government for, before the visit, all charges by the Spanish justice system for genocide against former Chinese leaders were dropped. However, the latest events in Hong Kong, with young people in the street, fuels the hope of Tibetan exiles to get some fresh air to their situation.
Photo © Angel Lopez Soto, member ofGEA PHOTOWORDS
.By Mercedes Iniguez Quintela for GEA PHOTOWORDS.
A year ago everything was ready for the president's official visit Rajoy a China. However, The authorities of this country demanded before the visit the withdrawal of all charges in the National Court against the previous leadership of the Chinese Government for genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, "terrorism and war crime in short for directing a widespread and systematic attack against the Tibetan population.".
After the occupation of Tibet, in 1950, one million two hundred thousand Tibetans died directly or indirectly due to the invasion at the hands of Chinese officials and more than 90% of the territory's religious and cultural institutions were destroyed, as denounced by the organizations complaining and promoting this law of universal justice, now mutilated, at full speed and without the consensus of the majority of political forces, by the Spanish government.
One of the promoters of this law of universal justice, among which are the Tibet Support Committeeas main plaintiff andHouse of Tibet Foundation as co-plaintiffs, It is themonk buddhist Thubten Wangchen. Of Spanish nationality, Wangchen, He is the founder of the House of Tibet in Barcelona, representative of Tibet in Spain and member of the Tibetan Parliament in exile.
.Rajoy, has finally been received in Beijing, ¿what do you feel?.
a little shame. The Spanish Government surrendered to the Chinese. Listening to what to do, what not to do, has listened to what he was told. Mr. Rajoy ¡Too bad! has had to listen, give up and pay attention. I'm sure you really enjoyed this official visit., but on the other hand, everyone knows that it has been a gift from the Chinese communist government to the concession that Spain has made.. A little weak on the part of the Spanish government.
.Human rights have been exchanged for the economy….
¡This always! ¿For what reason?, ¿What is the order of the Chinese government to Spain??: file the complaint against the former Chinese leaders, among whom was the previous president, Jiang Zeming. Bad reputation of the Chinese government before the international community. Filing this law is a big truffle for them. But, torture is already known internationally, the repressions and pressures of the Chinese government. The Spanish government has exchanged debt and money for human rights and universal justice.
Talking about universal justice, the modification that the PP made of this law, It goes against all international treaties. ¿He hopes that the appeal raised by the Prosecutor's Office to this modification of the universal law will succeed.?.
We always have hope and we are optimistic, although it is difficult. Nothing lasts forever. The Tibetans, let go of Falung Gong, the Couso case, etc., all this will not be forgotten. At the moment, we stop talking about it and it is archived. But sooner or later it will be taken up again because I think it is a good international law.. And although in Spain we remain silent, Elsewhere the debate will be opened and this topic will be talked about.
Photo © Angel Lopez Soto, member ofGEA PHOTOWORDS
.So, ¿Do you believe that we can finally talk about globalized justice?, above the economic and political interests of the different countries?.
Yeah, I have hope. It's going to happen, of course. At the international level they are not going to be silent. In many parts of the world there is talk, investigating. The Chinese government cannot give orders to other countries, like Spain.
We have been in the fight for many years. China is reaching a very powerful economic level. Internationally, world political leaders, They know the situation in Tibet, They have sympathy for the Dalai Lama, this yes. But then there are the markets and the economic side and they say yes to us, Yeah, and they also say yes to the Chinese, yes and in the end, business wins. And although it is true that we are not going to achieve a free Tibet, Tibet is talked about all over the world. She further , we have not lost our Tibetan identity, our culture and philosophy and everything is alive.
.You have been one of the co-plaintiffs before the National Court, ¿Do you already have in mind to take some more action or are you going to wait if the appeal presented by the CAT and co-plaintiffs before the Supreme Court?
We are studying a little how, in which country and how to work. The end of the year is not good to start things. When the start 2015, We will organize various solidarity actions and promote universal justice, Yeah.
.¿It makes him a little envious, all the media coverage and attention that the student demonstrations in Hong Kong are getting compared to that in Tibet, which has always been quite obscured?.
Young people are not afraid and this is what we want to do in Tibet. There are small demonstrations, but immediately the Chinese take the weapons and repel them. There is no media, There is no press in Tibet and nothing is said about what happens there..
All Tibetans in Europe, in America, everywhere, we are supporting the youth of Hong Kong, Let them continue demonstrating because democracy is very important and Tibetans, as long as they do it peacefully, we will be with them.
This media attention on the situation in Hong Kong, ¿believes that it can open the debate a little and open the hand of Chinese repression with respect to other cases such as that of Tibet., Taiwan, etc.?.
Correct. Now the Chinese government has to open its attention, because from other areas they ask for greater freedom like the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, etc. If he gets tougher on Hong Kong protesters, protests will occur elsewhere. Thus, If the leaders want the Chinese regime to endure, They have to open up a little to their people, that they have a little more democracy, freedom and respect between them. We cannot change the Chinese communist regime, but yes the young chinese. They will change their own regime. So Tibet will be a little different. Many young Chinese have sympathy for the cause of Tibet and the Dalai Lama. We have high hopes for the new Chinese president.X Jinping.
¿Because?.
Because his father is a Dalai Lama fan, He met him during the time of Mao Zedong.. His wife practices Buddhism and Tibetan meditation. That's why, they can influence you. He is beginning to speak and say that Buddhist philosophy is contributing to a better humanity. It's just one and you can't change everything at once.. But we have high hopes for him.
.Mercedes Iñiguez Quintela, Graduate in Journalism from the Complutense University and Master in Journalism from the University of Barcelona and Columbia University of New York. He has lived and worked for 15 years abroad and has collaborated for media such as Il Sole 24 Ore, The Guardian, La Vanguardia or the Catalunya Newspaper, inter alia. In recent times she has specialized in gender equality and human rights issues..
